<p>pizzagirl- you were doing a LOT. It wasn’t just running, and it’s all individual. You should check out the Fellow Flowers site. Tomorrow is “Declare It” day and there is a new shirt and flower for it. Challenge is to Declare something to challenge yourself for this year. A bunch of us signed up on their facebook page. My online women’s running group on RunningAhead (which MaineLonghorn is in) is ALL levels- seriously. We have walkers, walk/runners/fast runners/ultra ladies etc. We support everyone. That’s what it is about. One of our ladies reported seeing a larger woman on the treadmill next to her raise her arms in celebration over just running her first 15 minutes straight. Our gal took her one of the flowers the next day…</p>
<p>I did sign up on their Facebook page. Thanks! Need to buy myself a flower, now!</p>
<p>Forgive me for I have sinned. I couldn’t celebrate my birthday without a treat, so I had a little mini cannoli from the pastry shop. So sue me… 
I also had the second meal of the unbelievable Italian Pork Chops Pizzola recipe I tried the other day. This is definitely a keeper. I’ve got another one from the same book to try this weekend. Flank steak, pounded thin, spread with Parmigianno Reggiano cheese and fresh parsley, rolled and tied, then browned and braised with tomatoes. Yummm.</p>
<p>Here’s today’s damage, including the cannoli…</p>
<p>*Calories 2032</p>
<p>Protein 146g
Fat 105g
Carbohydrate 110g</p>
<p>Dietary Fiber 24g
Net carbs 86g
Sugars 32g</p>
<p>48%fat
30% protein
22% carbs*</p>
<p>Happy Birthday, Idad!</p>
<p>Happy b-day!!! Have TWO cannoli !!!</p>
<p>Idad- Your video of NH is gorgeous. It must be both peaceful and invigorating to exercise in the crisp air surrounded by snow covered trees and trails. I will have to make my way soon to visit my cousins in North Conway. I forgot how beautiful NH is in the winter. Thank you for your video and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!</p>
<p>abasket- I usually begin with a standard 3 mile loop. I increase it based upon how my back is feeling. I can usually go up to five miles easily but if my sciatica has been acting up I will stick to the three mile loop. If the sciatica is in check I will increase the speeds of my walks and add hills. </p>
<p>I too have sinned. I had an extremely busy day and didn’t eat until dinner time and dare I admit I started with dark chocolate raisinets on the way to dinner and the movies, then chicken over an arugula salad for dinner with a dirty martini and YIKES movie theatre popcorn. Now I know to check myfitnesspal for calories before consuming out of the house. I ate DOUBLE my allowable calories for the day. I had four great days this week and this one awful day today. The program told me yesterday I would lose four pounds in five weeks if I continued eating the way I did Thursday and today it told me I would gain eight pounds in five weeks if I continued eating the way I did today. It didn’t help today that I wasn’t able to exercise. The great news is that I have a new awareness for what is going on and hopefully won’t do this again anytime soon! </p>
<p>Overall, I have reached my goals for January and I appreciate all the great information, support and advice from everyone in this thread. Thank you Teri for recommending it!</p>
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<p>It’s making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. As long as we have to endure this weather, might as well get something out of it.</p>
<p>My quads are lettin’ me have it today. The snow shoeing worked some muscles in new ways or something. Probably the uphill.</p>
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<p>I only got one. A little tiny one. The great thing about never eating desserts is that I can nurse a little tiny one like that and savor every morsel without getting into steam shovel mode, like if I had a whole box!</p>
<p>Happy Birthday idad! You share a birthday with one of my favorite peeps He’s the guy I decimate myself going kayaking with because he won’t slow down When hiking Isle Royal one year, his poor wife came home with blisters from trying to keep up. Apart from being an energizer bunny despite having 10 years on me, he is one of my favorite humans and my go-to guy in the event of a zombie apocalypse :)</p>
<p>Nice hike, btw. I think you need to take me gear shopping. I’m ready for a proper jacket. One of these days when I’m not in such a hurry to fit my route in I should try to take pics.</p>
<p>So, now that I’ve got my trail tamped down we’re getting another 6-8 inches today. Which means the slogging will start all over again. Hi ho!</p>
<p>Peaceful mom, the bright side of a double-calorie day it that it confuses your body just enough to keep it from being miserly in burning calories. Now I know that sounds like a rationalization designed to excuse my frequent and hearty tumbles off the caloric budget, but there’s some truth in it according to my trainer pal. It’s good to not let your body know exactly what you’re up to in weightloss, because its goal is to conserve energy. So you have to take a ninja approach. </p>
<p>So don’t worry about the odd tumble. The goal is on balance to pick your spots :)</p>
<p>Of course, I’m saying this after a night out to a new brewery with French onion soup, monk salad and stout…</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I’m glad to hear you’re giving yourself permission to reinvent your enjoyment of activities. A long time ago I had a little bout of those attacks you describe. I think my adrenalin activation was out of whack. It went away after a few months. I never found out what triggered it or what it meant, but in retrospect I was on the brink of a new era or chapter if you will of some wonderful changes so I wrote it off to psychic realignment At any rate, keep doing what feels right :)</p>
<p>kmcmom13, always great to wake up in the morning and see your inspiring words. I don’t know if I said it but thanks on the advice you gave earlier on my H’s problems. He’s getting a bit better but it’s still not great and he’s getting discouraged. We will see if he needs more treatment. </p>
<p>Happy birthday Idad. Good for you with only one cannoli and you are so right about savoring that one treat. Makes it even more special. </p>
<p>Bought a new pair of shoes yesterday. Mizuno alchemy 12’s. Went to the local running store and these felt best. I like to have 2 pairs of running shoes and switch out as I feel it helps. I like the local running shop and I like the advice but sometimes I feel that they carry older shoes for full price. Kind of annoying. But I like to keep my local merchants in business, I did my damage yesterday. </p>
<p>Today I am committed to doing my run outside. We are getting more snow, not as much as kmcmom13 but enough. </p>
<p>Happy Birthday, iDad. Glad you enjoyed the cannoli. Off to attempt my longest run since Monkey with my daughter. She’s gotten fast, so I hope I can slow her down some!</p>
<p>Happy birthday idad! </p>
<p>Deborah, thanks for the good thoughts. I went to pick up my race packet yesterday and it was cold & windy standing in line to get into the expo, but I got to talk to some interesting people. I love runners. Got a nice shirt, bought a hat. I think I’m ready! </p>
<p>abasket, I plan 3-4 runs a week, one is a long run that I have a number planned and I really try to do what I have planned. The others I plan, but I change according to how I feel that day, so if I plan a tempo run but I’m not feeling it that day, I just call it a low heart rate run. Mind games B-) </p>
<p>Yes mind games . :). So true!! </p>
<p>Pizza girl, look at this time as an opportunity to revamp and make fitness a part of your life that you enjoy and that is doable - like running? Start slow and consistently build up. Hate running? Don’t do it!! Plenty of other options. If I remember correctly you also like biking - couple more months and that would be a great activity if its enjoyable.<br>
As far as the loss - weight and inches - you have experienced, of you can do some short spurts of exercise a few times a week you will probably maintain most of it. Try to Only worry about keeping up with Pizzagirl, not the “Jones’s!” No one is keeping score - except yourself. Make your choices a win, not a battle.</p>
<p>Happy birthday, iDad. My daughter is in town, and today will likely turn out to be a busy one. It’ll probably be stretch/core/strength for me exercise-wise, sometime in the evening.</p>
<p>MOWC-- February now. Time to buy the Landice :). I am looking forward to your review. I priced them here and they wanted more money and I told the sales guy " my friend in Nashville is paying…" And he dropped the price. Lol</p>
<p>Happy Birthday, iDad! Gorgeous sunny day here. Lots of mud, however. </p>
<p>Really happy to have finished January with 116.1 miles. This morning ran 6.5. Average pace 9:16 which is a huge improvement for me. </p>
<p>KMC, great job keeping up with exercise in the winter months. That’s real dedication…I’m impressed! I could loan you Sabadog and Sabapup to help break the trail. They would love that. </p>
<p>sabaray, I was right behind you at 114.3 miles for January! Would have been more, but I got slammed with work this week. I finally got out this morning to do 4 miles with my friend. Nice to be outside! I will try to do more on the treadmill later today.</p>
<p>A little over 64 miles for me for January. On track for my annual running mileage goal.</p>
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<p>Well, I really did quite poorly on clothes selection for this hike. I wore the same stuff I had used on the 11 degree day and it was just way, way too hot, factoring in the workout of the sustained climb. That nice green synthetic puffy jacket was literally wringing wet. I should have taken it off and just worn the midweight 1/4 zip baselayer shirt I had on. Seems crazy at 15 degrees, but it is what it is. I took all my top layers off in the parking lot (at 12 degrees) to change into a dry hoody for the drive home.</p>
<p>I’m going to be more willing to stop, take the pack off, and adjust layers on the fly from now on. It’s back to a thin baselayer shirt and powerstretch hoodies for those conditions.</p>
<p>153.6 for January. 12 miles with my daughter today. She pushed the pace, and my HR was pretty high, but I made it! We had a few hills and a lot of flat- good mix. 45-53 degrees, sunny with a pretty strong south wind. Longest since Monkey! She’s really doing well. Didn’t need hat or gloves, which was nice. We did 5 miles and got back to the cars and had a gel and drink then headed out for the rest.</p>
<p>Busyparent- glad you could get the price down on the Landice! Went and ordered it today. 10 days or so to get it. Looking forward to it. H needs to get the TV set up for me in the basement room where it will go.</p>
<p>PT exercises and 45 minutes on the NuStep. Am thinking I’m going to burn some calories watching the Syracuse/Duke game tonight with all the jumping up and down on the couch and yelling at the TV! It’s bad enough that the dog runs into another room.</p>